A new prenylated benzofuran derivative, named flemiphilippinone A, was isolated together with ten known flavonoids from the roots of Flemingia philippinensis. Flemiphilippinone A was identified as (2S,3aS)-5-(1-hydroxy-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)- propylidene)-2-(2-hydroxypropan-2-yl)-3a,7-bis(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)tetrahydrobenzo- furan-4,6(2H,5H)-dione, and its structure was established by a combination of HR EIMS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMQC, HMBC and NOESY spectra data.

The total synthesis of the natural phytoalexin 2,6-dimethoxy-9-phenyl-1H-phenalen-1-one (3) isolated from Eichhornia crassipes was accomplished in seven steps. The synthetic strategy included a Friedel–Crafts acylation and a Jacobsen–Katsuki epoxidation as the key reactions to obtain the target compound. Based on a comparison of the NMR data and a crystal structure of 3, the previously proposed structure of 2,5-dimethoxy-4-phenyl-benzoindenone (2) isolated from the same plant has been revised.